Productio installation for the manufacture of a product

Abstract

In a production installation, all component parts which are required for a synthesis process or manufacturing process, are combined in terms of hardware and software into modular units (8 to 12). Here, on the one hand local fixed modules (8, 46) and mobile modules (9 to 12) are formed, the apparatus and instruments of which are mounted in racks. Control units (33 to 37) are associated with the modular units, which control units in each case receive a programmable module address code, by which each modular unit (8 to 12) identifies itself to the process guiding system (1).

I claim: 
     
       1. Production installation for the manufacture of a product in a multistage process, comprising (A) a process guiding system having input/output consoles and, connected to the consoles, a process computer for monitoring and controlling said multistage process for the manufacture of said product; and   (B) at least two modular units for conducting the respective stages of said process: (a) each of said modular units comprising production apparatus, instrumentation, tubing, electrical wiring, sensors, actuators and a control unit, connected to said sensors and actuators, for communicating with said process guiding system; and   (b) at least one of said modular units being detachable from the rest of said production installation and transportable.     
     
     
       2. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein the non-transportable modular units are fixedly installed containers. 
     
     
       3. Production installation according to claim 2, wherein said fixedly installed containers and said process guiding system are directly and permanently interconnected by a number of signal lines. 
     
     
       4. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said transportable modular units are mobile racks which are transportable with fork lifts. 
     
     
       5. Production installation according to claim 4, wherein said mobile racks comprise a number of runners. 
     
     
       6. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein each of said modular units contains only one interface for the supply of auxiliary energy, compressed air or cooling water, which is shared by all constituent parts of said modular unit. 
     
     
       7. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said control units of said modular units and said process guiding system are interconnected by light wave conductors. 
     
     
       8. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said modular units are constructed as synthesis modules, pre-cooler modules, cooling-modules, dosaging modules, degassing-modules, reactor modules or collection modules. 
     
     
       9. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein each said control unit comprises a memory unit capable of storing a module address code for identification of said respective modular unit. 
     
     
       10. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said process guiding system and said control units comprise memory units, capable of storing information about the number and nature of the constituent parts of each said respective modular unit, said information being stored upon assembly of said modular units. 
     
     
       11. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said control units comprise Analog/Digital Conversion units for the digitalization of the monitoring and control signals. 
     
     
       12. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said control units are field multiplexers or memory-programmable control systems. 
     
     
       13. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said control units comprise process computers which control the processes occurring in the respective modular unit. 
     
     
       14. Production installation according to claim 1, wherein said control units of said modular units and said process guiding system are interconnected via communication systems. 
     
     
       15. Production installation according to claim 1, additionally containing energy support lines for data transport in either direction between said process guiding system and said control units.